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Follow us on Twitter @claretandview // Words by Regan Foy (@FindFoy)
As Aston Villa gear up for the Second City Derby this weekend, many fans are considering when Gabriel Agbonlahor will make an appearance, or whether he will at all.
Gabriel Agbonlahor has been confirmed and fit for selection going in to this weekend’s game, but the former Aston Villa captain could miss it completely.
At the moment, Villa are on a six game unbeaten streak and Steve Bruce would be mad to change a winning team.
Which means that Gabby could only make an appearance from the bench.
But with new signing Lewis Grabban champing at the bit to get game time, and Keinan Davis seemingly frozen out by Scott Hogan’s current form – could he not even make the match-day squad?
Gabby is known for his antics in front of goal against the Blues, and has more recently only played as a sub or in the Second City Derby.
How Gabby performs against Birmingham City
According to TransferMarkt, Gabby has appeared 10 times for Villa against the blues.
In these 10 games, six of them were in the Premier League, where Villa won five times and drew once.
In these games, Gabby scored three goals and assisted one – which isn’t a bad return.
The sides have met twice in the EFL cup, once in the quarter finals of the 2010/11 season, and once in the third round of the 2015/16 season.
In cup games, he’s scored in one of the two games.
Since both sides have been in the Championship together, the sides have met three times, and Gabby has played twice from the bench.
He has scored once in the Championship’s biggest derby so far.
Agbonlahor also seems to have a penchant for cards in these games, gathering four yellows over 10 appearances.
Will he play?
It’s likely that Bruce will know what a homegrown player will feel like during the Second City Derby, so you can expect to see Gabby making the bench, perhaps in the place of loanee Josh Onomah.
Villa’s own Jack Grealish will be in the starting eleven and could take on the mantle that Gabby has held for a number of years.
Perhaps Gabby will start – but it’s highly improbable that he’ll play more than 45 minutes.
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